Proceeding of The 3rd Conference on Communication, Culture and Media Studies ISBN: 978-602-71722-1-0

Social Media: Democracy in the Shadow of Fanaticism

Sulih Indra Dewia, Akhirul Aminullohb aUniversitas Tribhuwana Tunggadewi, Jl. Telaga Warna blok C, Malang, Indonesia, +6281233944824, e-mail: [email protected] bUniversitas Tribhuwana Tunggadewi, Jl. Telaga Warna blok C, Malang, Indonesia, +6285233467750, e-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Social media as a new democratic space has offered many possibilities to access information and interaction with other users but at the same time, can endangers the life of democracy itself. The research aimed to find out the types of fanaticism in social media and how it can endanger the life of democracy in Indonesia. This research was conducted in Malang from April-August 2016 and used descriptive qualitative method with interview and documentation as data gathering techniques. Meanwhile, the sampling technique was a purposive sampling and used interactive model from Miles & Huberman data analysis with three components namely: data reducation, data display and verification or conclusion withdrawal. The research results showed that there were two types of fanaticism in social media; politic and religion fanaticisms. Both types promote their ideology through fanpages, personal accounts and websites that circulate in social media. This research also found that fanaticism could endanger the life of democracy because it would not allow differences and againts the principle of democracy where diversities are celebrated. Some fanatic postings ignited debate and conflict and some other silently brain-washed people to be radical. Social media has cultivated fanaticism and ignited conflicts among people. It has become a “war zone” where anyone can say anything to anyone including some sensitive issues such as religion, politic and race.

Keyword: social media; democracy; fanaticism

1. Introduction Presidential election, a lot of things were going on in social media. Information, news and campaigns The year of 2014 was a momentous year from the candidates (Joko Widodo and Prabowo) for Indonesia. It was the year of legislative and were disseminated every minutes in social media presidential election. Closer to the presidential not to mention also the massmedia-like websites. election, the political turmoil was uplifted. We There were many black and negative campaigns in must remember that Indonesia has applied direct social media and people could just hit the share or election system since 2004, and this means that like button. They did not realize the impact of what people can vote directly for their legislative they have done. members and president. This is a new chapter for Social media has been popular more than democratic life in Indonesia. With the booming of a decade and no one would think that social media social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Path, would have power to change people’s life Instagram etc, politicians and President candidates significantly. With some features of social media also use social media to promote themselves or such as Facebook and Twitter allow users to their vision and mission. Most political figures interact and participate more. People can express today use social media as a tool to interact directly and effectively with their voters and participants. their thought or idea freely and share information Social media offers its user to share and react to to other users or give comment to people’s walls. any information. The information in social media That has made social media as a new public sphere and internet, in general, is basically without limit. and a new democratic space. The massive and rapid Anyone can create mass media-like websites and information distribution in social media has made share any information. Related to the 2014 people receive abundant information at the same

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time so they can not think whether they need the 3. Result and discussion information or not. This flood of information can give bad effects for internet users. It is possible 3.1. Democracy in Indonesia they get miss-directed information, hoax, black campaign and defamation. If they believe in the “Democracy should be a celebration by an involved public. Citizens should be information, they might be misinformed or misled. active because it is through public Some websites promote the political or religion discussion, deliberation, and ideology recklessly and made people become involvement that societal goals fanatic. That fanaticism can be seen from the last should be defined and carried out.” Presidential election. People can easily insult, (Dalton in Ruskell, 2016) mock or make fun of presidential candidates and unfortunately those action can still be seen up to now. Even though the election was over but the Indonesia has a long history of struggle for democracy. After the fall of the ruling dissapointment and hatred can still be seen. We can Soeharto’s regime, Indonesia experienced a new see people make meme just to make fun of certain democratic life, the reformation era (Reformasi). issue, or insult our President (Joko Widodo) with The Reformation era happened in 1998 generated harsh comments. Those actions show how political by students and young people who held big fanaticism can hurt people. demonstrations to send down Soeharto’s regime. These demonstrations created massive chaos and From this paper, we argue that fanaticism victimized many. Maybe because of the massive can endanger the life of democracy. Because it force from the people, Soeharto was willing to give does not respect the democracy that our founding up his presidency. It became a new history of fathers had fought for. The social media users Indonesia. After the falling of the Soeharto regime, cannot differentiate between public or private place Indonesia finally experienced a different where norms and etiquette must still be kept. So, it atmosphere in its democracy. The Press gained its is important for us to understand how fanaticism freedom, and the number of media increased can endanger our democracy. By doing so, significantly from printed media to electronic democracy can still be upheld and diversities in media (Piper, 2009). People could express their Indonesia preserved. In the end fanaticism will not thoughts freely. The press as the fourth estate be a shadow for the life of democracy in Indonesia. became a significant indicator of a democatic country.

2. Method For the first time in 2004, Indonesians held a direct election for their city mayor, governor This research was conducted in Malang, and president. An election is another indicators of a East Java from April-August 2016. This research democratic country where people can express their used descriptive qualitative method to describe the thoughts and vote for their political view. There detailed condition or process and also interrelated were many new political parties and offerred findings on the subject of research (Sutopo, 2006). various ideologies. New leaders were expected to The data gathering techniques were interview and reform the politic and economic situation and documentation. Meanwhile, the sampling technique Indonesia became a real democratic was a purposive sampling. Purposive sampling country.Compared to other ASEAN countries, the tends to choose the right informans who know the democracy and press freedom in Indonesia is better problems and can be trusted as reliable sources because government does not fully control the (Sutopo, 2006). There were twenty active internet media. Now, after 18 years of the reformation era users as informants for this research. They ranged our democratic ideology is facing another from housewives, worker, students, academics and challenges. With the development of information journalist. The analysis used interactive model and communication technology (ICT), democracy from Miles & Huberman (1992). This analysis has is brought to another level, it is social media era three analysis components namely: data reducation, where people can participate more in politics and data display and verification or conclusion other aspect of democratic life. withdrawal.

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Presidential election in 2014 gave a for instance, social media had become importants different chapter to the democracy in Indonesia. tools for campaign and information dissemination. This election is phenomenal because it has dragged Academic researchers found that people who people into two big groups: Joko Widodo and comsume news media will likely being civically Prabowo supporters. Since the President candidates and politically engaged (Journalist’s Resource, were two, people only had option to choose Joko 2015). When people consume more news they will Widodo or Prabowo. The parties of the candidates be more informed and they can decide their tried hard to promote them in main stream media political point of view and participation. and social media. The supporters of both candidates were also active to discuss and promote In Indonesia the internet users are about them in social media such as Facebook and Twitter. 88 million and mostly they use social media There were many pieces of information, (internetworldstats, 2016). Today, most people will campaigns, meme had gone viral there and they think that social media is a need rather than just a ignited a never ending debate in many groups. The medium. Social media spreads information and good news was people talk about politics freely ideas exponentially from one user to another. When from the warung kopi (coffee stalls) to the level of a story gains popularity and people share it rapidly, academic. For the first time, people discussed about it is called to have ‘gone viral’ the right term to politics just like discussing football or celebrities. describe how an information spread from one to Everyone could suddenly become a commentator another (Ruskell, 2016). The popularity of social and analyst to the political situation in Indonesia. media has been used by certain people to endorse their ideology such as politics, religion, lifestyle, beliefs etc. We can find easily websites, fan pages or personal accounts which express certain 3.2. Social media as a new democratic space thoughts and ideology and try to invite people to join and in the end of the day follow their ideology. Information and communication technology have developed rapidly. With the From this research to Facebook users it advent of the internet, technology allows us to was found out that most of the informant agree that interact with people throughout the world. One social media as a new democratic space for its popular output of the internet has been Social ability to accomodate people’s aspiration and Networking Sites (SNSs) or as they are popularly express their thoughts and they have use and known: social media. Social network sites (SNSs) participate in forum or discussions. A direct or social media are the latest generation of connection to certain public services or ‘mediated publics’ - environments where people government’s social media accounts has made can gather publicly through mediating technology. complain or critics heard and responded quickly by In some senses, mediated publics are similar to the the authorities. This shows how people’s power can unmediated publics with which most people are really make changes as what the purpose of familiar - parks, malls, parking lots, cafes (boyd, democracy where political, cultural, econony and 2007). People can use mediated publics same as social differences are recognised as basic human unmediated publics. People can socialize and rights (The priciple of democracy). But, at the same interact just like in parks or malls. So, social media time they are also concerned to the information might be considered as a new public space in a circulated because some of them were hoax or similar vein as more traditional public spaces. With provocation and could trigger conflicts. social media, we can exchange information, photos and build a wide social network. The power and As mention earlier that Social media can influence of social media can be used for positive be consider as public space, so it demands the same and constructive things. norms and rules as public space where we have to respect other people. If we go to malls or park, we Social media today has become an have to use public facilities wisely as other people important part in people’s life as it has shaped and also use it. In public places there are several rules changed the way we interact each others. Social such as no smoking in the building, do not litter or media has generated new habits for its users. step on the grass. Those rules mostly understood by People can do almost anything in social media, people when they visit public are. Now, how about such as reading news, sharing information, pictures Social Media? Even though we have personal and videos, commenting on others posting. Social account and we invite people to be our friends, that media have becoma a new democratic space for does not mean it is private space. Indonesians. From the Presidential Election 20014

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This research captured famous figures in Widodo. The battle of those two figuresa are just social media and how people react to them. an example of how freedom of speech and Actually, there are many new ‘celebrities’ in social expression in social media emerged. Most media who gain thousands of likes and shares. participants of this research know Denny Siregar or They deliberately use the power of social media to Jonru from their postings. From the following influence people. Jonru and Denny Siregar for Facebook postings, we can see how those two instance, two figures who are famous in social figures represent themselves. Jonru tends to post media for what they post and their political point of some provocative status related to politics or view. Jonru is famous as Prabowo’s participant religion. It was about corruption and religion from last Presidential election. He shared anything sentimen, he used Islam to critize Ahok as related to the candidate. After the Presidential Christian, while Denny Siregar tend to post election finished, now he shares controversial something positive and openly show his support to posting and hatred to the ruling government and Joko Widodo. From their postings show how Joko Widodo as individual. In other side, there is religion and politic can be discussed and generated Denny Siregar who is Joko Widodo participant. He likes, comments and shares. As it can be seen that has given positive information about Joko Widodo each post gained thousands of likes and shares and from the Presidential election till today. Probably, hundreds of comments. The more controversial a he tries to balance the information about Joko posting is, the more likes and share they get.

Figure 1. Jonru’s Fanpage Figure 2. Denny Siregar’s Fanpage

Misleading information, hatred and hoax their beliefs and thoughts so they join certain can be circulated easily in social media and no one groups, and fanpages according to their interest and can really control them. In one side, freedom of follow certain people or websites. From their speech and expression is part of democratic life and activities we found out their ways of thinking and must be nortured but on the other side it is also a preferences. For instance, Joko Widodo supporter ‘war zone’ of mixed interests. would follow his account, read from his news website which tend to expose good side of him, 3.3. You are what you follow join with groups under the same interest. Just by looking at the activities (like and share) we can In social media people from different conclude someone’s ideology or political background, ideology and preference get together preferences. and interact. As a new public sphere and democratic space, people want to show and express

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Because of easy access of the internet, was inspired by information about ISIS in the people can create websites and blog quite easily. internet (merdeka, 2016). He has no corellation Those media make people able to write or post with ISIS network but he was exposed with the anything. We can see many websites contained information and obsessed to it. It showed that the ‘news’ being promoted or shared in social media. exposure of information can influence the way we Those websites share information, news, video, think. In social media there are many fanpages or photos and certain cause. They act as mass media media-like websites which share many misleading and share information or news just as the main information. From this research showed that most stream mass media. The problem is only few of of the informant said they could differentiate them are mass media. It means that everyone can between mass media and non mass media websites act as a jounalist and write news-like information but when they were asked how to do it, they did not and direct public opinion. Mass media has power to know how to check or make sure if a website is influence people and direct public opinion (Biagi, mass media or not, they only see the name of the 2010). The real mass media will be controlled by website. Only few knew because they have KPI (Indonesia’s Broadcasting Commitee) and can journalist or academic background. For common be sued for misleading information or defamation. social media users, the non media or media-like But those mass media-like websites are not mass websites are dangerous because people can be media and can not be treated as one (H.Subiakto, misled. And if they follow or subscribe those personal communication, 15 September, 2016). websites they can get wrong information. Most of Those non mass media which act as mass media the informants from this research get information can be dangerous for spreading wrong information. from trusted sources. They prefer choosing the If a user consumes news from the wrong sources, famous mass media such as Kompas, Detikcom, they will be influenced and directed by their way of Tempo and some local websites than websites with thinking. If you follow or subscribe website which unfamiliar names. share hatred or racist then you could be either a hater, or a racist, even both. You are what you follow, that is very relevant to social media today. We can see how Fanaticism become the root of radicalism people’s interest, politics and religion fanaticism just by looking at what they follow, share or like. and racism,we can see many examples for this. The Social media as a new public space has now cases of suicide bombing in several places such as become obvious for its users. Because the in Jakarta, Medan and Solo couple of months ago characteristics of social media; networking and showed that fanaticism to certain idelogy could be sharing, then people will try to ask or get together dangerous. From the case of Saint Yosep church with other users who has same interest and bombing in Medan, it was found that the bomber ideology .

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Figure 3. Hoax in Social Media

The picture above for instance, is about 3.4. Fanaticism and democracy the issue of government’s regulation on cigarette price. It said that the government would increase The terms fanaticism and fanatic come from the the price into IDR 50,000. This issue was only Latin adverb fānāticē (frenziedly, ragingly) and the hoax but the Facebook user shared it and was adjective fānāticus (enthusiastic, ecstatic, furious) misled by the website’s name. Infact, when you (Marimaa,2011). Webster’s dictionary explaines a click the news website, it is directed to fanatic as “a person with an extreme and uncritical populerkan.com not news.liputan6.com. This news enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics”. The had gone viral a couple of months ago in some source of fanaticism is based on mind and then websites and we found out also that the headline manifested into action (Marimaa, 2011). Fanatics and the content was totally different. It shows that will think what they believe is the ultimate truth people can create an issue and make it circulated in and they can not eccept different beliefs, critics or social media to get profit because in internet click opinions. Fanaticism endangers democracy where and share can make money. It does not always diversities is celebrated. We can see many forms of understood by the internet users including some of fanaticism around us related to religion and the informants of this research. politics. From last Presidential election there were many people devoted themselves to one of the president’s candidates and they could do crazy things just to show their support.

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Figure 4 & 5. President Joko Widodo is being insulted in social media

Eventhough the Presidential election has was worn only by important people. passed but not all people can accept Joko Widodo as Indonesia’s President. The pictures above Another form of fanaticism in social showed how hatred was expressed by individual media is religion fanaticisim. There are so many and shared to othersor a group few months ago. fan pages and websites representing certain religion People made fun of president Joko Widodo and and promote their ideology. Recently, there is a big called him crazy when he was honoured with movement to push Islamic law as country’s traditional costume in Samosir island, North foundation. In social media, everyday we see many Sumatra. It was shared by Prabowo’s supporter. As postings and sharing related to Islam and the mention before that social media can be a new movement of Islamic law. The following pictures democratic space but expressing idea or thought show how people can share a provocative news should not insult others especially president as a from a non mass media website. The force of symbol of a country. This form of fanaticism can Islamic law is always promoted by FPI (Islamic ignite conflict among users and it can be seen from Defend Troops) and supported by Islamic websites. the comments of each posting and some new The next picture is also provocation that used Ahok postings that tried to defend Joko Widodo or gave a issue as non moslem governer of Jakarta. It says crarification about the traditional outfit and why it that Ahok is a missionary who wants to eradicate the various faces of Islam.

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Figure 6. Provocation from FPI Figure 7. Defamation to Ahok

The participants of this research were also of media in this theory are cognitive, affective and aware of the forms of fanaticism in social media. behavioral. Even though social media cannot be Mostly they do not like provocative postings and categorized as mass media but the users find and prefer not to read or share them but they do not do promote link to information, news and knowledge anything to prevent them. They agree that from this media. From this research most fanaticism can endanger the life of democracy participants spent more than two hours for social because fanaticism will not allow any differences. media. They used that two hours mostly to read Based on Wahid foundation research (Kick Andy, news and see new postings. With the exposure of 2016) the number of intolerance in Indonesia information continuously, the effect to the audience increased significantly these couple of years. could be: strengthen what audience beliefs People can be racist or radical because of the (cognitive), create anxiety (affective) and move the exposure of information they get. Radicalism is not society or ignite conflict (behavioral). In the related to education, economy and social status but context of fanaticism, when audience is it is related to the information they get. If people continuously exposed to certain ideology (religion are being exposed to provocative information or politics) from wrong sources, they will be continously from the wrong sources than they can misled. be influenced and become radical too. This finding is line with theory of dependency about media Freedom of speech in democratic effects from Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur. This countries is appreciated and social media as public theory argues that in modern society, audience space and a new democratic space has same rules depends on mass media as the source of as other public places where people must respect information and knowledge and also about the other people and differences. As the biggest orientation to what happened in society. The effect Moslem country in the world, Indonesia applies

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Pancasila (the Five Principles) as the country’s 4. Understanding that everybody is the same foundation and diversities are respected. The push and will demand to be treated the same. of a religion law as country’s foundation has To be different in faith, beliefs and preferences are something usual. In denied the history of this country. Democracy as democratic life, everybody free to express the country’s system is a point of no return themselves but also respect others. therefore every citizen must respect it. So, fanaticism in politics or religion can endanger the 5. Conclusion life of democracy in Indonesia. Social media as a new democratic space 4. Discussion has offered many possibilities to access information and interaction with other users but at We believe that fanaticism will not bring the same time, it can endanger the life of Indonesia into a better country. With so many democracy itself. The research results showed that problems we are facing at the moment, it is there were two types of fanaticism in social media; important to understand how social media works so politic and religion fanaticisms. Both types promote their ideology through fanpages, personal we will not easily provacated. This research tries to accounts and websites that circulate in social offer some solutions to eliminate fanaticism, media. This research used theory of dependency radicalism and intolerance in Indonesia, they are: about media effects from Ball-Rokeach and DeFleur to understand how fanaticism can be 1. Internet and social media today have nurtured by social media and what is the media become an industry oriented to profit. This effect to the audience. Even though social media is the same as main stream media where cannot be categorized as mass media but the users mass media is a profit oriented industry (Biagi, 2010). Since profit is the goal, find and promote link to information, news and social media will try to make people knowledge from this media. From this research enganged all the time through what it is most participants spent more than two hours for called as click bait. Click counts money social media. They used that two hours mostly to same as share, like and comment. So, it is read news and see new postings. With the exposure wise not simply or easily believe any of information continuously, the effect to the information you read directly because the audience could be: strengthen what audience fanpage, personal page and website will beliefs (cognitive), create anxiety (affective) and compete to get click, like and share. It is move the society or ignite conflict (behavioral). In possible for fanpages or websites to the context of fanaticism, when audience is deliberately provoke people to get continuously exposed to certain ideology (religion attention and finally get click. or politics) from wrong sources, they will be 2. Media literacy is important to be misled. In conclusion, the many forms of conducted. Many internet users are not fanaticism in social media can be the shadow for aware what is going on in social media the life of democracy in Indonesia. and what the impact of what they do is. As public sphere, social media is same as Acknowledgements other form of public places where people can see what you do so be careful in We would like to thank all the informants sharing private information or choosing and participants for sharing their experience with information sources because you are what us and to the Communication Department of you follow. Universitas Tribhuwana Tunggadewi for the 3. We have to be critical in consuming support of this research. information. We have to ask, check and find the balance of the same information.

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